Be Not Afraid
by leefert
Summary: The cops decide to take back the streets, but at what cost are they willing to do so?


"I don't fear death. I fear life. I'm not afraid of dying; some think I'm afraid of living. But that doesn't stop me from being me. Some say that I am a bitch, I say that I am me- I'm not going to change because of one stupid jagoff who thinks they're better than me. I worked my butt off and I'm not about to have that thrown in my face. But I'm losing the battle with time."

Cruz sits in the dull exam room of a doctor's office. Another one of her appointments has stretched far longer than she cared to be cooped up with the little gown on. She pictured all of the work she could and should be doing but instead she is held captive in the little 8 x 8 cell waiting to hear more news from her doctor.

"Ms. Cruz, sorry to keep you waiting. I'm doctor Rogers." A young man introduces himself.

"Where's my doctor? I'm supposed to see Dr. Burk today." Cruz replies

"Dr. Burk had an emergency, I'm covering for him." Dr. Rogers says

"Okay."

"Is this going to be a problem?" Dr. Rogers asks

"No, I just want to get going."

"Okay, well let me look over your chart and see what we have." Dr. Rogers replies

Cruz sits there and waits while the young doctor looks over her chart. She stares through the slits in the window blind at the waiting world outside, and more importantly at her car. She was here far longer than what she wanted and was impatiently swinging her legs to show it.

"It looks like there are elevations in your white count. You really should take some time off work and let us try to get this under control. After all it could buy you more time." Dr. Rogers says

"I don't want to buy more time. I don't want to die from some STUPID disease. I just want to get back out on the streets and do my job because it's all I got." Cruz replies

"But if you give us time we can give you more." Dr. Rogers replies

"I'd really like to get out of here." Cruz says

"Okay, but I hope you'll reconsider." Dr. Rogers responds

"There's no reconsidering about it. Now if you'll excuse me." Cruz grabs her clothing in a clear effort to get the doctor to take the hint. He does, and he exits the room. She stares at the door for a moment and then dresses.

"What have we got here?" Davis asks Finney as they pull up on a street corner to an obvious drug transaction.

Davis exits the car. "Hold up." He says, "What's going on?"

Finney rounds the front of the RMP. "Everybody just stay still where you are."

Davis approaches the dealer. "You know you can't do this." He says as he confiscates a dime bag from the dealer's hand. "Got anymore on you?" He asks

"No." The dealer replies

"Well, I'd like to take your word for it, unfortunately I can't." Davis replies as he motions for the guy to spin around. The dealer complies and Davis begins a search. He comes up with a handgun, and 6 other dime bags.

"What are you dealing?" Finney asks

"None of yo business." The dealer quips

Finney gets up close to the dealer's face. "But you see it is my business when you deal it on MY streets. Now I asked you a question." Finney asserts his authority

"I said none of yo business." The dealer repeats

Davis jerks the guy quickly and heads for the RMP. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see what the lab says."

Cruz sits with Santiago and the other officers of Anti-Crime as well as with Faith, Bosco, and Sully.

"Don't you think we should have more officers involved?" Someone asks

"No, we get too many involved and this gets out of the bag real quick. We can't have that." Cruz replies "I'm not looking for a shoot out here. Too many people lose their lives when that happens. And we're all in danger."

Another officer enters the room and whispers into Cruz's ear. She becomes attentive to the other officer and turns to the room. "I'll be right back." She leaves the room to head to the holding cell.

"Where is he?" Cruz asks Davis and Finney

"Who?" Finney asks

"Rodrigo." Cruz replies

"Down there." Davis points.

Cruz approaches the cell. "You scumbag!" she says

"If it isn't Sgt. Cruz, the wicked bitch of the west." He responds

"I can't believe you slipped up." She says

"Ever think I wanted to be caught?" He responds

"Why would you want to be caught?" Cruz questions

"Because now I'm on the inside and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"Stop what?" Cruz asks

"You'll be sorry that you ever set out to fight us." He replies

She loses her cool and grabs his shirt pulling him close to the bars. "What do you mean I'll be sorry?"

Davis and Finney watch the exchange

"You'll be sorry that you ever targeted us." He replies as he frees himself from her grip.

She turns to Davis and Finney, "You two upstairs now."

Finney and Davis join the room of officers from the patrol and Anti- crime divisions. Cruz reenters the room.

"Sorry about that. Seems one of our targets made his way into a 6x6 cell thanks to Officers Davis and Finney." She acknowledges.

"So can someone explain to me why I'm sittin' here?" Bosco asks

Cruz glares at him and then begins to explain the operation they are all about to take part in.

"As we all know our streets are full of criminals, drug dealers, murderers, and the like. We've been tracking the activities of a gang that deals in all of it. From what we have gathered they are planning an operation- and so we have to fight back… TONIGHT. Stop them before they can get what they plan to do out of the works. We have to get them off of the streets." She explains

"What's that got to do with us?" Sully asks

"I wanted the best officers that I could find to take on this task with us because we can't do it alone. So you are being brought in to assist us in cleaning up this operation." Cruz responds

"Won't we be a little obvious in our convoy?" Davis questions

"We won't be in a convoy, we'll be scattered about for the first officers. The main branch of our operation will then be in a smaller convoy heading into the warehouse complex." Cruz adds

"Warehouse complex?" Bosco asks, "Something to this seems more like a set up for an ambush."

"They don't know we're coming." Santiago replies

"We leave in an hour. Be ready." Cruz finishes.

The cops all mill out of the room. Davis and Finney sit looking over the plan that had been handed to them.

"I don't know if I like this." Finney tells his partner

"I know that I don't." Davis says

The convoy rolls down the street uneasily. Finney nervously tugs at his seatbelt.

"You okay?" Davis asks

"Yeah, just the first time I've been in a big operation like this." Finney replies

"They're nothing." Davis replies, "ESU and Anti-Crime do most of the work, we just clean up the rest."

"I don't have a good feeling about this." Santiago says to Cruz

"You know what, me either, but we're going to take these bastards down." Cruz replies

"Yeah, take back the streets and get these scum into the big house." Santiago responds

"What the?" Cruz is broken off when an RPG hits the car behind her. "Anti-Crime 1 to all units responding, we are under attack."

"Looks like some one's out to prove a point." Sully tells Bosco as he swerves the RMP off to the right to avoid falling debris.

Suddenly the convoy is under automatic weapons fire.

"Take cover, return fire!" Cruz orders

Finney turns to Davis "I thought you said ESU and Anti-Crime do all the work and we just clean up the rest."

"Apparently I was wrong." Davis responds as the pair bail out of their RMP to take shelter by a dumpster seconds before an RPG takes out their RMP.

"That was a little close." Davis says as he fires at one of their attackers

Faith hears the distress call over the radio and she, like many other officers in the city responds to assist.

The street with the warehouse complex has turned to total chaos. Officers are taking shelter behind whatever they can. Their cars have turned into targets. A police helicopter swings through to aid the officers. It makes a pass and helps to free a few officers who are pinned down.

"We gotta take out the jagoff with the RPG if we're gonna get out of this fine mess Cruz has put us in." Bosco yells

"Yeah, and if we want anything left of this street." Sully says firing a couple shots in the direction of the chaos.

The helicopter tries to make another pass but cannot avoid the RPG. There is a huge fireball and the tail section flies into the corner of one of the warehouses. Sending a plume of debris tumbling towards the ground.

"I think we're out gunned!" Santiago yells to Cruz just before he takes a shot to the arm. "Damn!"

"I'm not giving up. These bastards are going to pay!" Cruz yells.

Faith pulls onto the scene and begins to take fire immediately. She flees from her car and heads for a concrete step that will provide her cover. Part of the warehouse's corner near Faith's car collapses to the street below. She scrambles to get away from falling debris. She gets away just in time as the wall gives way leaving her car in a rubble heap.

"Just when you thought it was safe to go out on a mission with Cruz. I'm starting to rethink this whole situation. Why the hell did I ever become a cop? I coulda been a lawyer, but no. I chose to be a cop." Davis yells inaudible to the war he is fighting.

Bosco decides to break cover and make a run for the RPG. He realizes that it's the only chance they have of making it out of the war zone.

"Bosco!" Sully yells realizing what the younger officer is doing. It's futile though. The former Army Ranger is zigzagging his way through the street.

He reaches the back of 55 Charlie where he takes a bullet to the leg. He stumbles but continues to focus on his target. He raises his gun and starts the fire at the man holding the RPG. Suddenly he has become the focus. His bold effort has not gone unnoticed by either side. He's the center of attention. He continues to trudge his way through the wall of bullets, taking another shot to the arm, and one to the stomach. He stumbles to the ground. He shoots again at the RPG operator who has now turned his focus towards Bosco. A rocket heads for Bosco who moves in time for it to stream into the side of 55 Charlie. The concussion of the blast knocks him to the ground.

The battle continues on as Cruz exchanges fire with a pocket of gangsters. Her shelter behind her car is barely enough. She sees Bosco making his way towards the RPG and she decides to make a move of her own. She dodges through a hail of bullets to make it to the dumpster. She reloads her gun and turns to fire, only to take a bullet to her chest. She screams out in pain as she fires in the general direction of the shot.

Bosco gets back up to his feet. He stumbles forward to take a few more shots at the RPG. In the process he is hit in the shoulder. He knows that he is only a few feet away as three more shots pierce his body armor and into his chest. Amazingly he struggles to his feet determined to get to his goal. The adrenaline keeps him going. He hits the RPG operator in the leg before he himself takes another bullet to the arm. He loses his gun to the shot and falls to the ground. On his knees he reaches for his gun as he gets hit once more. He falls off to his side as he lies on the street in a puddle of his own blood he gasps to breathe. The RPG is aimed at him when suddenly the tube is dropped to the ground as Faith's bullet finds the shooter's head. Bosco lies motionless in the middle of the street.

Suddenly officers start to swarm into the buildings that the shooters were using for cover. Finally only a few stray shots are heard. Faith lowers her gun. Davis turns to speak to Finney only to realize his partner is not there.

"Brendan?" Davis questions, his eyes start to scan the scene. A few yards away he sees his partner lying on the ground shaking. The medic units start to arrive.

"My God!" Carlos explains looking at the battlefield in front of him.

Grace and Carlos exit their rig ready for some action. She notices Davis approaching a downed officer.

"Officer down!" Davis yells.

Grace heads over to help him. Stopping when she realizes whom the downed officer is. She drops to her knees.

"Brendan! Talk to me damn it!" She cries.

He looks up and tries to speak. Weakly he manages to get out "Grace."

Grace pulls Brendan into her chest. "I'm here." She says

Davis is standing above watching.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Finney gets out, "I never…"

Grace breaks off his sentence with tears, "You're going to be okay Brendan, I'm going to take care of you." She stops herself and looks up at Davis then back to her lover. "You're going to be alright." She cries

"No, I'm done. I feel weak." He tells her

She takes a second to reassess his injuries; she knows that there is not much time left for him. He has lost too much blood already. She pulls him tighter and kisses his forehead. He tries to put his hand on her face but he can't. She picks it up and puts it there for him. He smiles. She puts on her best smile for him.

"I'm in the arms of an angel." He says as his body shakes again and his eyes close.

"Brendan?" Grace tries to wake him. "Brendan?" She pulls him closer to her and looks up to Davis as tears stream down her face.

Cruz is leaning against a dumpster. She is fading in and out of consciousness. Santiago finds her.

"Sarge?" He asks trying to ascertain if she is still alive.

"I'm not scared. I'm going home now. It's over." Cruz says as she draws in her last breath. Santiago crosses her with the sign of the cross and then does the same to himself. He stands up and walks toward a medic crew.

A cold rain starts to fall as the officers are left picking up the pieces. Sully walks over to Davis and puts his hand on his shoulder. Davis cries.

"I can't do this anymore." Davis says

"I know. I can't either." Sully says surveying the whole scene "This is it for me. I'm not about to watch one more of my friends fall to this job. This is it. I'm done"

"I think I'm going back to law school. I can't do this anymore!" Davis repeats.

His mentor pulls him in and the two embrace.

"It's over now. It's done." Sully says

Faith walks over to her former partner, knowing that there is no way he survived the beating he took.

"Oh God Bosco." She cries, "How is it that we can make it through 9/11 only to end like this?"

The fire engines start to roll onto the scene to work on putting out the fires caused by the chaos. Lt. Walsh looks around the scene.

"How could this happen?" He asks DK who is preparing to enter the building.

"I don't know, I really don't." DK replies as he leads a couple firefighters into a smoke-filled warehouse.

Lieutenant Swersky exits his car as do other police brass that have started to arrive on the scene.

"What the hell happened?" Swersky demands

"We were ambushed." Sully replies

"This was supposed to be a simple raid." Swersky replies

"Yeah well it wasn't." Davis responds

"Someone told them we were coming, they were waiting on us." Santiago adds

"Where's Cruz?" Swersky questions

Santiago looks at everyone, "She didn't make it." He says glumly

"Boscorelli, Finney?" Swersky asks

Faith shakes her head and points to Bosco, Davis points to Grace who looks up with tears in her eyes.

"What about the shooters?" Swersky is still scanning the scene. He notices some members of ESU escorting some prisoners from the warehouses.

"Most of them are dead." Faith responds

Swersky is still surveying the scene. "Why don't you all head back to the house?"

"Okay." Sully says, wondering where they are going to get a vehicle since all of theirs were still flaming pieces of metal. They turned to walk away when Lieutenant Swersky stopped them.

"Good job guys." He adds

Each officer nods and continues on their way to the cars that are waiting to take them back. They slowly drive away from the scene as the rain starts to fall harder. The red and white lights flash off of the buildings and through the rain as each officer looks to say goodbye one last time. Though battered and beaten, they went off as heroes.


End file.
